Happy GX Rivalshippingmonth!
by DonnerEngel
Summary: Since I don't have enough Rivalshipping on my account (obvious sarcasm is obvious), here's my contribution for #GxRivalMonth2018! Prompts from gx-rivalshippingmonth on tumblr. [Complete]
1. Chapter 1

**Rivalshippingmonth is finally here, so of course I have to participate in that \\(^-^)/**

 **I won't do all days, but I'll still be putting off my current fanfictions until September, just in case you were curious.**

 **(Prompts from gx-rivalshippingmonth on tumblr)**

* * *

 **Day 2: Smile!**

 **Yikes... not satisfied with how this turned out at all, but hey, we gotta start somewhere! Also, I'm early, I know!**

* * *

''I'm going to be in the Pro League?'', Chazz repeated, completely stunned about the sudden revelation.

He had expected everything upon being called into the Chancellor's office – a call from his brothers, expulsion from the Academy, world saving duty – but this was something he'd never thought about.

''But I haven't even graduated yet!''

''I am aware of that. However, there is an event being hosted in Domino and the organizer specifically asked us to send a student from our school to participate with Pro League duelists. Depending on how you score in the event, the organizer might offer you a place in the Pro League after graduation.''

To get a place in the Pro League as a Slifer Red -even if he didn't wear the uniform, that's still what he was- was nearly impossible, so being offered such a chance was incredible.

Most importantly, it would convince his brothers that he wasn't the useless scum they always believed him to be which would lead to them giving him a second chance to prove his worth.

They could still fulfill their plan of world domination if he was at the top of the dueling world again.

But... did he want that? Did that make him happy?

Was that his own goal or just something forced on him that had made him believe it was his own?

''You don't have to decide this right now, but please inform me of your decision until tomorrow morning.''

Chancellor Sheppard handed him a paper, but his mind was already somewhere else as he turned around and left the office, causing him to bump into the student who had been eavesdropping on his conversation from outside.

The impact made both of them stagger backwards and they let out a simultaneous 'Ouch' before Chazz snapped back to his senses and realized just who was standing there.

''Jaden, what the hell?''

Jaden scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, but then just beamed at him.

''Well, I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you! I'm so happy you get to see the Pro League! Take a lot of pictures for me, okay?''

''I'm not sure if I'm even going'', he admitted, watching Jaden's joy dissolve into confusion.

''Wha-? But Chazz, this is your chance! Why wouldn't you want to go?''

Chazz was about to reply when he suddenly felt the younger boy's arms around him, hugging him tightly.

It was a purely impulsive action that Jaden did a lot, yet it somehow felt good in this situation.

''You'll regret not going. You don't have to do it for your brothers, just do it for yourself. Show them that you can succeed without them. You don't need them.''

''I...'' Chazz wanted to disagree, but then stopped himself to think about Jaden's words.

He had always been told that he was useless on his own and could only succeed in life when he worked together with his brothers to control the worlds' biggest categories.

To have someone say he was talented on his own was rare, even rarer because Jaden had specifically said he didn't _need_ his brothers, implying that they were holding him back to some extent.

Jaden was obviously thinking very highly of him and he didn't know how to cope with that.

He might always tell himself that he was the greatest at everything he attempted, but in truth, he was only putting up a false front to distract people from his own insecurities.

And the brunette saw that and actively tried to help him get over that.

The brunette believed in his abilities... but did he believe in them himself?

Did he believe in his self-worth?

''You're overthinking, stop'', Jaden suddenly said, his face taking on an unusual stern expression. ''Don't think too much about it and just go. You've earned it. Promise me you'll do it.''

''Okay'', Chazz agreed, a smile forming on his lips as he brought a hand up to ruffle through the brown hair.

It felt like Jaden knew what was best for him without him having that knowledge himself.

Why was this boy always looking out for him even when he had done nothing for him in return?

He should really work on showing his appreciation a little more.

Starting now.

''Promise.''

* * *

Chazz could immediately tell his presence was not well received when he entered the dueling arena where a photoshoot was scheduled for the duelists.

There were at least one dozen of them coming from all over Japan and its dueling schools.

Since everyone had been chosen by lot just like him, there was a wide variety of different students present, but the pro duelists stood out from the crowd because of their extremely fasionable and elegant clothing.

They stared everyone down who dared to even look at them for too long and scoffed at everyone they believed to be under their standard.

In other words, literally everyone.

It was like some childish clique of bullies that existed at every school and Chazz was reminded once again of how awful and snobbish he must have been back in Obelisk Blue.

One reason more to never go back to his old self. And to get his brothers out of his head for good.

Starting now.

He took a deep breath and decided to stand somewhere close to the entrance so that he wasn't in the pro duelists' direct field of vision.

He wasn't afraid of giving them a piece of his mind if they talked shit about him, but he didn't feel like getting close to them right now.

''Alright, thank you all for coming!'', the photographer said as he came into the arena, briefly greeting the crowd of duelists. ''Today's photos will appear in Domino's magazine _Duelist_ , so I want everyone to do their very best, okay?''

Most of the students applauded, but Chazz saw that the pro duelists were just quietly laughing, raising their voices as the applause subsided.

''Well, _we'll_ do our best, but these _rookies_ will probably mess everything up.''

The way they spat the word was enough to make a few people flinch, yet somehow, this went over the photographer's head as he nodded towards a stage that had been set up solely for this photoshoot.

''Group A, let's go on there!''

The first group got on the stage and Chazz dully noted two of the pros who were purposely walking into a smaller duelist, making him stumble over his own feet as he attempted to climb the stairs.

Chazz was about to say something when the photographer got into position and gave his instructions.

''Your theme is 'smile!'. To get into it a bit, close your eyes for a second.''

Even though it was clearly directed at the others, the young Princeton ended up also closing his eyes.

''Now imagine something beautiful, something you look forward to.''

A picture of Jaden appeared in his mind and before he knew it, he was already smiling.

Yes, he was looking forward to seeing Jaden. He always was.

He just never admitted it.

''Yes, perfect, smile just like that! Keep on smiling, but look at me! Yes, that's it!''

It wasn't aimed at him, he could keep his eyes closed for a little longer.

The truth was, he just wanted to look at Jaden a little longer, even if it was only in his mind.

That smile of his... That smile that was brighter than the sun itself and warmed his heart...

He wanted to smile like that today.

And he would put all of his admiration and appreciation in it, so Jaden could finally see the effect he had on him when he saw the pictures.

This would be his way of showing his feelings.

And Jaden would understand them.

After all, what good were words when a smile said it all?


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 5: Flowers**

 **It started out innocent enough in my head...**

* * *

Valentine's Day.

Out of all days in the year, Jaden had really wished for that one to be sunny or at least somewhat dry so that he could walk to Chazz's place without ruining the gift he had gotten him.

The academy had been so grateful for him and his friends saving the world (again!) that it had granted the whole student body a week of vacation.

And luckily, this vacation had fallen right into the second week of February, meaning that he finally had a chance to get Chazz some flowers as he'd always intended to.

Valentine's Day was just the perfect day to subtly drop a hint about liking your crush, but if he bought flowers at the academy there was a pretty big chance of someone spying on him just to snitch later.

Everyone seemed to like spicy rumors and a boy giving flowers to another boy was just the spiciest rumor of them all.

The academy would go crazy and as for Chazz... well, if he got wind of who had sent him such a gift, Jaden was fairly certain he would be in for some serious shit.

But just buying flowers like this and dropping them off in front of Chazz's house with a little note attached to them, this was okay.

Nobody would watch him because Chazz hadn't exactly given out his address to that many people and even if there were people around, what were the odds of someone seeing him in the fifteen seconds that he would need to drop the flowers and run away?

So all in all, it was safer to do it on the mainland than on the island which was why he had hoped for good weather today.

However, when he had glanced out of his window early this morning, eyes still a little sleepy, he had already seen the rainclouds approaching Domino and the more time had passed, the darker the sky became.

At this point it was actually black, just waiting for him to step outside so that it could release a thunderstorm.

Jaden was arguing with himself if he should challenge his luck by trying to get to his friend's house before the storm unleashed or if he should just wait until the storm front had passed.

The latter seemed unrealistic because as it stood the storm didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

At least that's what the professional newsteam on the radio said.

''A quick newsupdate at 12:30. We advise everyone to stay home for today if it isn't absolutely necessary. We assume the storm will unleash any minute and with it a lot of rain.''

Yeah, no shit.

''Which areas are especially affected?'', someone else asked, just as Jaden heard a light patter on his window. Rain.

''Ah, there's the first raindrops, just as expected.''

It wasn't actually that bad, the storm seemed tame enough so far, but he knew it would get worse in no time, so he remained seated, listening to the rain for a while until the gentle patter had transformed into an aggressive slashing against the window.

Suddenly, without any warning at all, a flash of lightning appeared outside at the same time that Jaden heard a loud thunderclap, making him jump in his seat at the realization that he was very close to the storm – perhaps a bit too close for his liking.

Even though he was safe in his house and therefore didn't have a reason to be scared, he felt goose bumps slowly creeping up all over his body and making him shiver.

Thunder and lightning didn't normally bother him, yet right now, it was causing him to be strangely agitated and on edge.

To some extent, it was almost like a... bad omen...

But the moment came and went and before he knew it, everything was back to normal, even though his breathing remained strained for a little longer.

The rest of the day didn't look any better in terms of weather and while Jaden was itching to go and bring Chazz the flowers, he stayed inside, pacing back and forth and growing more and more frustrated because the storm didn't pass.

Finally, at around eight o'clock in the evening, he gave up and opted for going to Chazz the next day.

* * *

February 15th looked a lot nicer than the previous day.

It was sunny with temperatures just below 27°C and nothing pointed towards the hellish weather from yesterday.

If it weren't for the news report, it would be like it hadn't existed at all.

''Yesterday's casualties are above everything our team has experienced so far. 29 dead and 15 injured is the sad reality that we have to come to terms with and we offer our sincere condolences to the affected families and-''

Jaden switched the radio off, not wanting to be dragged down today and took the bouquet of flowers he had left on a table.

''I'm going!'', he called into the living room, only to receive a dismissive answer back.

Fine, okay, he wasn't going to let this bother him either.

He left the house with the flowers and his key and started walking.

His thoughts trailed off all on their own, as usual ultimately rotating around Chazz and his reaction to getting a gift.

Would he know from who it was or would he guess?

Would he get all flustered about it or would he be genuinely grateful for having someone who liked and cared about him?

He had no way of telling and this made him all the more excited to see Chazz's face, so he sped up until he had reached his destination.

And wow, the building in front of him was more like a mansion than a house like he would have guessed. It looked extremely pretentious and over the top, but then again, it seemed just right for the Princeton family.

He carefully placed the bouquet in front of the massive door before ringing the bell and taking flight behind a tree from where he could watch the door.

A long minute passed without anything happening and he was about to leave his hiding spot to ring again when the door suddenly opened to reveal a woman in her mid-twenties.

A maid?

She looked around for a moment, then picked the flowers up and read the little card Jaden had put in there.

Her expression flickered back and forth before settling on dread.

''Are you still there? ...Jaden?''

The question was clearly aimed at him.

Jaden froze, feeling very uneasy all of a sudden as he stepped around the tree.

He wanted to speak up, but all words got stuck in his throat.

This didn't feel good...

The woman waved him over and -once he stood in front of her- hugged him tightly.

He barely felt the embrace as his mind and body both went into hyperventilation, having a very strong idea of what could be wrong.

No, there was no reason to assume the worst.

Surely it was just...

It couldn't be.

It... how... why...

His thoughts escaped him, shattering on the ground like glass.

An echo reverberated in his head.

 _29 dead, 15 injured._

 _Dead._

 _29._

A number.

He had thought about it as a mere number when in actual fact... oh god...

''I...''

This was a joke, right? It had to be!

Fate couldn't do this to him.

 _Chazz_ couldn't do this to him!

''How-... but... he's not... I don't...''

He wanted to cry, but couldn't. His body was refusing to believe this.

 _He_ was refusing to believe this.

''It was an accident.'' Her voice wasn't more than a whisper. ''He was driving. It was rainy and some guy couldn't control their car...''

There was a pause. Hesitation.

''The police found... flowers with a note on the backseat. They were for you.''


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 10: AU!**

 **Disclaimer: Is it obvious that I thought of the rhythm game Arcaea while writing this?**

 **This turned out cryptic... Can someone interpret this story?**

* * *

It had been so long that Chazz had forgotten his purpose.

He knew there had been a time when he had actively pursued a goal, but that wasn't the case anymore.

His goal had drifted off into the empty, cold world around him and he hadn't even tried to hold onto it.

Maybe because there was no point in holding onto anything in this world where he was all alone with the emptyness of the blank landscape that reminded him of a mirror.

There was merely a single path stretching into the void and he followed it, not knowing where it would lead him.

He faintly remembered having sprinted along this path a long time ago, eager to get to his destination, yet his steps had gotten heavy since then, a weight holding him back.

Looking back over his shoulder, he was met with a dark trail spreading over the path behind him, tainting it black.

It had grown a lot since he had begun his journey and there was no indication that it would stop soon.

Chazz turned away from the trail to face the path in front of him, noticing dark shards descending from the sky towards him.

Out of habit, he extended his hand and caught them, seeing memories reflected in them.

Memories of pain, death, misery, hate and despair flickered in the shards and he grimaced before releasing them and letting them join the trail of shards behind him.

There were six questions to be asked: When, where, who, what, why and how.

Out of these questions, he asked none, in fear of what the answers would be.

There was some kind of bizarre comfort in it though, having gathered all bad memories in one place, but at the same time he felt like he was going mad because of it.

He hadn't discovered even one good memory so far, but he knew they had to exist somewhere.

An invisible force tugged at his body, urging him to move faster and pulling him closer to something.

His destination? His goal?

Somewhere in front of him, a maze faded into existence, its entrance lined with bright shards that seemed to sparkle.

The pull grew stronger and he passed the entrance, his heart wavering as he looked at the shards.

He reached out to touch one of them, but the movement alone was enough for them to be blown out of his reach and into the endless nothing surrounding the maze.

Something wet slid down his cheek without him noticing it and his heart wavered some more before he entered the maze fully, hoping for some sort of revelation to await him.

* * *

Love, joy, serenity, hope, life...

Jaden saw it all reflected in the shards that encircled him and he happily embraced every single memory he saw without thinking too much about it.

He had a sort of indifference towards his purpose as he was walking down the long path in this blank world, but as long as he was content, it didn't bother him.

The world around him was empty, but the sky sparkled with shards showing the beauty this world had once possessed and encouraging him to keep on going forward.

He didn't feel the trail of shards behind him as he hopped gracefully on the path, being drawn to the maze that had suddenly appeared in front of him.

Bright shards lined its entrance and he smiled, picking them up and seeing once again nothing but affection and care.

During his journey, he had come across several bad memories, however, he had chosen to ignore their existence rather than acknowledge it and as a result, they had disappeared from his sight for good.

It was better this way anyway.

With a cheer, he looked back at the trail of memories leaving a sparkle on the path behind him.

There were six questions to be asked: When, where, who, what, why and how.

Out of these questions, he asked none, instead simply basking in the memories and their warm, comfortable glow, never reflecting what they meant for himself.

He was yearning for something in the corner of his heart, but couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Once the shards near the entrance had joined the rest of the trail, Jaden entered the maze, blissfully unaware of his surroundings as he let an invisible force pull him towards the center.

* * *

They say, every memory has good and bad sides to it.

Without one or the other, it isn't a memory so much as a fragment and these fragments have the intention of reuniting with their counterparts.

Standing still in the center of the maze were the two boys that had been chosen by the fragments as a means of transportation.

No words were expressed between them as the shards slowly shifted from a trail into a sphere that surrounded them, captured them in a realm of black and white.

Chazz saw in Jaden all the hopes and dreams and the purpose that had slipped from his hands.

Jaden saw in Chazz a certain kind of maturity and acceptance that he lacked, an ability to embrace both sides.

The fragments freed themselves one by one, getting together with their other part to form a complete memory.

Chazz let it happen, but Jaden tried holding on to his shards with all his might, fearing that there would be nothing left if they were taken from him.

Despite his resistance, they easily broke free and ascended into the sky, leaving the brunette boy disheartened.

Clinging to only good or bad memories was of no use here, for in the end they would all fade anyway.

''Let's go.''

Chazz smiled at him and offered a hand which Jaden took gratefully.

He noticed the maze fading out, along with himself and Chazz, but he wasn't scared.

He intertwined their fingers and simultaneously, the yearning in his heart was silenced, replaced by a deep affection unlike anything he had seen in the shards.

It felt like he had reached a safe haven for his imminent eternity.

In this world, there were six questions to be asked in order to advance to the afterlife.

They were ready to ask these questions now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 13: Outfit Swap (with any character)**

 **Aaaaand I choose Ironstrange!**

 **Why? Pff, beats me.**

 **These next days are going to be a huge pain, so please excuse my writing for this one.**

* * *

Jaden's ideas for a date were really something else.

Whereas Chazz would have gone for something simple like a dinner date, Jaden was all about action – theme parks, bungee jumping, jet ski, that sort of stuff.

It didn't even feel like a date most of the time, there wasn't time for passionate kisses, declarations of love or soft touches when you were thousands of meters above the ground and already completely scared or when you were being surrounded by massive groups of people who all wanted to attend the same theme park.

Yes, dating the brunette was clearly a commitment that you could only endure if you truly loved Jaden.

Which Chazz did, so he put up with the whole social stuff even if it wasn't his cup of tea.

But from time to time, there was an idea that combined both of their interests and those dates were always the ones both parties got the most enjoyment out of.

Today was no different.

Jaden, being the big fan of superheroes that he was, had wanted to attend another theme park centered around the Avengers, but Chazz who was much more interested in Domino's museum about history and art had persuaded him to go there with him instead since the museum also had a department dedicated to the Avengers.

Or... more specifically, their clothing which had Jaden even more excited than the theme park itself, simply because it was real.

''Do you think we can try it on?'', he asked, practically jumping up and down in front of the glass case containing the Iron Man suit.

''Obviously yes. I mean, what other reason is there for it to be in a glass case?''

Jaden pouted, having picked up on the obvious sarcasm. ''Alright, I admit that was a stupid question.''

''Stupid? Try 'downright ludicrous'.''

He shook his head, about to turn around and look for the department about the history of Duel Monsters when he suddenly noticed someone approaching them.

''You're interested in the suit?''

''Yeah, it looks so incredibly cool!'', Jaden exclaimed, then stopped to examine the person closer.

They seemed like staff, but he couldn't be entirely sure.

''Do you work here? Did you meet Tony Stark? Did he say anything about how it feels to be inside that thing? Is it true that the suit has an artificial intelligence build into it?''

Chazz tried to catch the staff member's gaze to apologize for his hyperactive boyfriend, but to his surprise the man laughed and made a sign for the two to follow him.

''You should see for yourself.''

'See for yourself?'

The brunette had an idea where this was going and his eyes lit up in joy as he dashed through the museum to catch up to the staff member.

Chazz wasn't that invested in following some stranger he'd never met before, but he supposed he should keep an eye on the situation, just to make sure Jaden didn't do anything stupid.

Once they had reached their destination, a warehouse behind the museum, the staff member paused before opening the door, presumably for some sort of dramatic effect.

''When Mr. Stark donated one of his suits to this museum, he told us to keep some more stored in the warehouse, in case somebody wanted to try them out.''

He slowly pushed against the door and flicked the lights on to reveal an enormous hall in front of them with suits lined up left and right.

Jaden squealed and immediately rushed inside, inspecting each and every suit before deciding on the most recent one as his test object.

''Can someone help me?''

While the staff member explained to him how he got inside the suit, Chazz used the time to have a look around and search for anything else of interest since he wasn't keen on getting inside one of these things.

There was a closet in the corner of the hall and he stepped closer, already feeling some kind of magical aura around it.

Well, if it was magic, he had a clue what was inside of here...

He reached out and opened the closet, catching sight of a blue cloak on a coat hanger.

''That is Doctor Strange's first cloak of levitation'', the man explained while still helping Jaden. ''It has minor abilities and spells woven into it, but of course, it's nothing compared to his current cloak.''

Chazz nodded in understanding, gripping the cloak and letting the material run through his fingers.

It was tempting to try it on...

''May I?''

''Be my guest.''

After another moment of hesitation, he removed his black coat and put the cloak on instead.

It was very comfortable to wear and made his body tingle in a good way, probably because of its magic.

''Jaden, how do I look?''

Jaden had somehow managed to get inside the suit (which was way too big but whatever) and was now trying to activate the artificial intelligence, but he still glanced over at the question aimed at him.

''Hot.''

Chazz grinned. ''I thought I was already hot?''

''Hotter.''

He managed to press something and the entire inside of the suit lit up, just as a British voice began to talk.

 _''Allow me to introduce myself._

 _I am JARVIS, a virtual artificial intelligence, and I am here to assist you with a variety of tasks as best I can. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week._

 _Importing all preferences from home interface._

 _Systems are now fully operational.''_

''Oh my god, that's amazing!'', Jaden cheered while he attempted to move. ''This was the best idea ever, Chazz! How do I fly? How do I shoot?''

He raised his arm experimentally, focusing on one part of the wall in front of him and to his surprise, it actually worked and he was able to shoot a hole through the wall without problem.

''Sweetness!''

Chazz watched him from his spot near the closet, floating cross-legged in the air after having found out how to get the cloak to levitate.

He was clearly amused about this whole situation.

Dates with Jaden were really something else.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away at Duel Academy:_

''What do I do with this?'' Tony skipped through the cards he had found, getting more irritated by the second. ''Is that Japanese? I can't read this!''

Originally, he had thought those were some cards for poker, but after looking at them once or twice more, they seemed like trading cards.

And superheroes nonetheless.

He skipped a few more cards, suddenly stopping when his gaze trailed over a golden creature with edges as wings and a suspicious resemblance to his Iron Man suits.

He shook his head and set the deck of cards back on the table, feeling his clothes cut into his skin.

The blazer he was wearing was incredibly uncomfortable and too tight, but he hadn't found anything else in the room that he could have changed into, so it had to do.

From outside, he heard someone whisper, followed by a loud thunderclap, so he opened the window, immediately spotting one of his accomplices standing on the grass in front of the building.

''Strange! What are you doing?''

Stephen turned to him, dressed in a black coat. ''I have discovered something fascinating. Watch.''

Tony leaned against the window while Stephen very silently called out something that sounded like 'Manjoume Thunder'.

The sky reacted instantly with a flash of lightning across the horizon before brightening again.

''We have to study this place, Tony.''

''It's probably just Thor, let's be honest here.''


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 14: Music x Day 22: Fantasy**

 **Because when I think of Music and Fantasy, I think of Lanota.**

* * *

It had been two and a half centuries since the disaster known as Al Niente began.

It was as if the world had suddenly stopped turning, all creation lying still and desolate, plunged into a colorless, soundless world of black and white.

Nobody was aware of the exact reasons why it had happened, but it was still spreading even now, making a repopulation fairly impossible.

The human race would have gone long since extinct, just like the wildlife, had it not been for a little village at the edge of the country.

The only place in the whole world that had been spared from Al Niente, the only place where humans could continue to live, although under somewhat poor conditions.

Prior to Al Niente, people had started producing _Notalium,_ an artifical crystal-shaped product possessing great amounts of energy which could be utilized as various power resources for daily use and more.

It had evolved into becoming the most vital product for the inhabitants of the village after they had been cut off from the rest of the world.

Since their childhood, Jaden and Chazz had been living in this exact village, only being able to reach the edge of it, but never further if they didn't want to suffer the unfavorable effects of Al Niente.

This might have been fine for the entirety of their early life, but upon growing older they had both developed a desire to change their situation.

However, without any abilities or powers, there wasn't much they could really do, so they had to settle for fantasizing about the past world instead.

''Do you think they had more vegetables than just cucumbers and carrots?''

Jaden was thumping through one of the old books the church provided for education, barely understanding the words on the paper.

It sure was amazing how a language could change...

Chazz seemed to catch on to the strange phrasings rather quickly though, probably due to having paid attention in world history class, so he scanned the 'Fruit and Vegetables' page Jaden had open.

''Well, they talk about some sort of fruit here... an 'apple' that grows on trees.''

''Woah, fruit used to grow on trees? Really? What did that apple thing taste like?''

Chazz leaned over the page a little more, eyebrows knit as he tried to figure out what was written there.

''Distinct... flavor'', he read, although with some difficulty. ''A little sour... a little bitter, mostly sweet... very juicy in general.''

Sour, bitter _and_ sweet? How would that taste like?

''Hey boys.''

Both of them looked up at the sudden greeting to see the village's priest entering the common room they were in with something weird looking in his hands.

He crossed the room and placed it in the 'former world box', a box dedicated to things that came from a time before Al Niente.

Some pretty interesting stuff was in there, yet it was often difficult to figure out what it might have been used for.

''What's this?''

Jaden crawled over to the box, picking up the item that the priest had dumped in there which was longish and had some holes in its metal surface.

''It's called a flute and it was made to play music.''

Music? What was music?

Seeing the boys' confused gazes, he sat down at the table with them, brushing a few of the books aside that they had been studying since early morning.

''I see you've been studying the past world. Perhaps to find a way to bring life back to the world?''

They nodded eagerly.

The priest paused for a second before reaching into his pocket and setting something grey down in front of him on the table.

Chazz felt very distraught as he eyed the small product that was emitting an aura of corruption, but at the same time he was in awe and couldn't avert his gaze.

''This is disordered Notalium, Notalium affected by Al Niente. As you know, Notalium was widely used all over the world before the disaster, so if we manage to turn it into its ordered state again, we would gain an immense amount of energy, maybe even enough to reverse Al Niente.''

''And that's possible with music'', Chazz figured, subconsciously gripping his own Notalium that he wore on a necklace around his neck - just in case.

He vaguely recalled having read something about this so-called 'music' in his world history books before.

 _'Melody is harmony. Melody is order. Melody is the infinite light. Melody is the source of life.'_

''Exactly, but only the one blessed by the gods of melody can achieve that and I haven't found anyone in the village that would be a possible candidate.''

''Let me try!'', Jaden instantly offered, holding the flute to his lips and blowing into it to produce some kind of sound.

Only that the sound was so shrill and absolutely ear-piercing that he dropped the instrument immediately after, covering his ears and cursing himself for his overconfident nature.

''You're such a natural'', Chazz teased, earning himself a miffed stare from Jaden as he picked the flute up, wanting to try and play it himself.

As soon as the metal touched his lips, he felt a sort of electric shock run through him and suddenly, his fingers and lips moved all on their own, playing a gentle, peaceful melody on the flute.

Jaden only gaped at him with an open mouth, finding something incredibly appealing in the way Chazz was able to pull this off so effortlessly.

His fingers danced over the holes elegantly, softly caressing the metal from time to time before pressing down on the holes to coax another sweet tone out of the flute.

Finally, he set the instrument down, visibly surprised and a little out of breath, his cheeks a light red.

''What did I...''

His gaze wandered over to the disordered Notalium on the table that had changed back into the bright blue it was supposed to have.

Surrounding it was an aura of concentrated energy that was just waiting to be unleashed and used.

So wait, it was in an ordered state again?

His eyes widened.

''Did I do this?''

Jaden was still baffled from what he had witnessed, so he simply stared at Chazz who locked eyes with him for a moment.

His expression revealed a slight uneasiness about the quest that was sure to follow, so the brunette reached for his hand and squeezed it gently in an attempt to calm him down.

''I believe in you'', he exclaimed with great resolve and optimism. ''I believe that you can revive the former world order, just like you always wanted to.''

An unspoken promise was made between them that moment and just a few days later, they stood at the edge of their village, ready to face a lost world with the power of music.

As they set off on their journey, the wheel of fate began turning quietly...


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 15: Long time no see! (Post-Canon)**

 **I mean... you could argue if this is really Post-Canon, but it's close enough for me.**

* * *

''Getting into the mind of a criminal is certainly no easy task, yet we have to study the nature and causes of criminals in order to prevent further criminal behavior.''

What possessed him to study criminology, Jaden didn't know.

He guessed it had something to do with the comics he'd read during his childhood about superheroes who saved and protected the world from whatever evil forces tried to destroy it.

He'd been so entrenched in these stories back then, and this phase had lasted all throughout his school life as well, even going as far as him building a deck based on superheroes with which he had fought off several evils as well.

Just thinking back to his time at Duel Academy was enough to make him break out in a smile.

So many happy memories were tied to this island and the many relationships he's built up over the years.

He did his best to stay in touch with his friends as much as he could, but sometimes there just wasn't the space in his schedule to text or call them back when the university buried him under a pile of evidence that had to be analyzed.

''The sample you all brought today is from a new case in Domino where multiple students have turned up dead. Does anybody have questions about the evidence? Yes, mister?''

And sometimes... he just wanted to receive a text from one certain person and nobody else so he ignored everyone and didn't text back on purpose.

His gaze trailed from the professor to his mobile phone that was seated inbetween his legs.

He did this almost every day, still anticipating a reply from his old friend and rival Chazz who had stopped texting him just weeks after they had graduated from Duel Academy.

Graduation...

He was very fond of this memory in particular, not only because it had been the last time he had really seen Chazz, but because of what had happened shortly before they had all been called into the school to be given their certificates.

He had sat under the shade of a tree near the edge of the cliff with Chazz, reminiscing about the four years they had spent together and how much they had all grown when Chazz had suddenly grown very quiet, seemingly collecting his thoughts.

It wasn't an odd thing for him to do at all, so Jaden had just given him the time to think without pressuring him, instead staring off into the sunrise.

''That is a very good observation. All traces of evidence have been eliminated by hydrogen peroxide which is why we can't see the victim's blood. Does anybody find anything strange about this scene?''

''These last years...'', Chazz had begun after several minutes of silence, looking both confused and insecure – emotions that he didn't normally show. ''They made me realize that I don't actually hate you all that much.''

'All that much'. Jaden still laughed about that phrase, mainly because it was so incredibly, well, Chazz.

He couldn't have just been straight-forward with his wording, could he?

Then again, it was a part of his charm.

''Thanks'', he had laughed, oblivious as he'd been. ''I really like you too. A lot, in fact.''

The expression on his friend's face as he had shifted closer to him was something he never wanted to forget.

It had been so intense, so passionate, so full of owerflowing emotions, yet so alert at the same time.

''How much?'' Chazz had tilted his face so that he had been forced to look at him and for a long moment neither of them had reacted, both caught in the other's eyes.

Jaden regretted having pulled back in surprise, even if it hadn't been intentional.

He regretted having excused himself and rushing off in a hurry.

From time to time he still wondered what would have happened if he had just leant in a little more, just a little, just close enough for their lips to touch.

Would he be here right now if he had kissed Chazz back then?

''Your assignment for the next lesson is in this folder. I expect you all to be prepared because these next few topics are important for your exams. Have a pleasant day.''

Everyone began to mumble with their friends as they got their assignment from the folder before walking out, but Jaden remained on his seat for a little longer, watching the chat on his phone in hopes of something happening.

It had been more than a year since he had gotten the last text from Chazz, yet his mind still believed he would reply someday, maybe remember what had happened between them, maybe suggest that they continued where they had left off.

Or was that just his mind wishing for things that would never occur?

Slowly, he got up, pocketing his phone and leaving the room, not once acknowledging his assignment. He didn't have the concentration to do this right now, he would get it later.

Maybe.

After he dropped off his things in his room, he decided to take a short walk on the campus to clear his head.

He knew he'd missed his chance back then and he also knew that there was no such thing as a 'second chance' in life, however, since he had an ability to stand against the odds, it was certainly possible for him to meet Chazz again... right?

But even if he did... he had no way of saying how the black haired boy would react. He might have hinted at liking Jaden, but what if that was no longer the case?

What if he didn't even remember?

What if he already had a partner? Already kissed someone else?

The thought put a lot more weight on his heart than he expected and he found himself pushing it into the furthest corner of his mind.

No, it was no use concerning himself with 'what if's, he wouldn't see Chazz either way, so what was the point?

The brunette dropped down into the grass under the shade of a tree and let his gaze trail towards the sun.

It felt nostalgic and hurt so much at the same time because something was missing.

Someone was missing.

''Mind if I sit here?''

Jaden froze, his heart stopping for a few seconds before beating twice as fast in his chest.

He knew this voice.

It had matured a bit since he'd last heard it, but it was undoubtedly _his voice._

He had to be hallucinating... There was no way...

Fate couldn't be this nice to him, fate was never this nice to him.

He turned his head just the tiniest bit to take a closer look at the person next to him and immediately noticed their familiar spiky black hair and their trademark black clothes.

Without even realizing it, a tear escaped his eyes, followed by many others as he nodded wildly, probably looking like a maniac, but it didn't matter because _he was here_.

Chazz sat down in the grass as well and Jaden couldn't stop himself from throwing himself into his friend's arms, to feel that he was here, that he wasn't going mad, that this was real.

There was that familiar warmth, the soft shirt that smelled just like him and everything about Chazz that he adored.

''Long time no see'', Chazz finally said, his arms still around Jaden and a smile evident in his voice that made Jaden want to melt on the spot.

He wanted to know, no, he _had_ to know if he remembered, if he wanted to continue.

''How much?'', he managed to ask, sobbing into the purple shirt while clinging to Chazz for dear life.

He dreaded and anticipated his answer, his entire body shaking.

This situation was overwhelming and he couldn't think straight anymore, but he wasn't going to let himself ruin the moment again.

Not this time.

''So much that I can't even express it in words, so let me show you.''

And much like back at the academy, Chazz tilted his face up and leaned in, just to stop milimeters in front of Jaden's lips, leaving the brunette with the choice to kiss him or pull back like last time.

He didn't think about his choice, he didn't even have time to because his body moved all on its own, closing the remaining space between them.

There were still some tears on his cheeks and Chazz smiled into the kiss as he brought a hand up to wipe them off Jaden's face.

It had been the right choice to search for a continuation all along.


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 16: Get your (video) game on!**

 **Detroit Become Human. No competition.**

* * *

It was late evening when Chazz arrived at the Eden Club, the only building in the whole city that still seemed to be open.

He was absolutely starving from running around dark deserted streets for hours on end, not once coming across a cab that could take him back home or a person that knew where the hell they currently were.

He was completely lost.

How had this happened?

Oh, right, he'd been invited to Atticus's birthday party and had declined his offer to drive him home after the party since his apartment was only a short walk from the brunette's house anyway.

What a great decision he had made there.

Now he was wandering around the streets, devoid of any sense of time or direction, just waiting for some serial killer to come and murder him on the pavement.

He was fully expecting it at this point.

But to get back to the matter, he had somehow found the Eden Club and even though he was disgusted by the idea of ever walking into a sex club -even more so when the club in question was staffed by androids-, he knew he had no choice but to go in and ask someone for directions if he didn't want to spend the night outdoors.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to see before entering through the sliding door.

''Welcome to Eden Club'', a voice greeted him from the ceiling, but he ignored it and went straight into the club, barely acknowledging the transparent booths on either side of him where androids were displayed.

Chazz himself didn't have a problem with androids, unlike some other people who were heavily discriminating them, he just didn't feel like getting involved with them sexually.

He came into a dimly lit room with more of these booths, as well as some pole-dancing androids, yet there seemed to be no human in sight apart from some customers that had crowded around a specific booth.

Maybe he could ask one of them.

He slowly made his way over to the group, able to pick up some of their words as he came closer.

''Well well, that's exactly the kind of fun I wanted to have tonight.''

''Look at it, it's such a pretty little thing.''

''As pretty as a slut can be, anyway.''

''Mmmm, maybe I can demolish it a bit while I'm at it...''

On second thought, these guys sounded sick and perverted, maybe he should get out of here again and try to get home on his own.

After all, he doubted that they would be of much help.

Where the hell was the staff of this club when it was needed?

''Hey, fucker, what are you staring at?'', one of the perverts asked, turning to Chazz and revealing a view of the android inside the booth.

He was both shocked and surprised to see a distraught and panicked expression on its face, along with some tears it was desperately holding back.

It? No, wait, _he._

Locked into this thing like some kind of animal, a toy for others to play with, was not just a machine without emotions but instead a real living being.

A living being that was scared beyond imagination – and rightly so.

It was outraging and Chazz couldn't believe how these guys could be so calm about it.

Before one of them could react, he stepped forward to the panel adjacent to the booth and let it recognize him as a human by pressing the palm of his hand on a display.

''Hello. A 30-minute session costs 109.99$. Please confirm your purchase.''

By the gods, he was thankful for having his own bank account and not sharing it with his brothers because this surely wouldn't look good on his statement.

''What the hell are you doing?! This is our toy!'' Someone tried to pull him away, but luckily for Chazz, some staff members appeared seemingly out of nowhere and approached the perverts.

''Is there a problem, gentlemen?''

The black-haired boy put on his fakest smile. ''Yes, I was just about to rent this android, but these men bother me. Can you tell them to go away?''

The staff nodded, grabbing the men and hauling them off while he confirmed his purchase.

The android was still clearly scared as the booth opened and he stepped outside, the LED on his head a flickering red.

While Chazz didn't know all too much about these LEDs, red was never a good sign, so he guessed the android -the boy- had an extremely high stress level.

''I'll... take you to your room... Follow me.''

''No'', Chazz immediately objected, lowering his voice to not have anyone else hear him. ''I want to get you out of here.''

The brunette boy in front of him looked at him like a deer in headlights, trembling slightly as if he was cold.

Upon seeing this, Chazz removed his jacket, putting it around the android's shoulders while softly pulling him towards the exit, careful not to be too harsh.

''Do you have a name?''

A name was a good place to start.

He wanted to help this traumatized android, have him trust him, but of course he couldn't expect that to happen right away.

''I... You can call me what you want..''

He probably still thought he was going to be used as a sex toy.

''No, I meant your actual name. Do you have one?''

Silence.

Chazz looked back over his shoulder to see that the LED had faded into a constant yellow.

It was a start.

''Jaden.''

They both exited the club and Chazz was once again reminded that he didn't have a goddamn clue where his apartment was.

Dammit, he should have asked the staff...

Whatever, he needed to get away from here quickly before they realized that he had kidnapped their android, so he just took a right turn down the street, quickening his steps the tiniest bit as to not startle Jaden.

''Are you alright? I promise, I'm not going to hurt you.''

Jaden had held his head down while walking, but slowly looked up when he heard these words.

''Then why did you rent me?'' He instantly bit his lip.

He wasn't supposed to ask questions, he was only supposed to answer questions, let humans have their way with him, please humans.

''I don't want to 'rent' you, you're not an object. You just seemed so broken back there, I didn't want you to go through a session with these guys. You shouldn't have to go through any sessions at all.''

''But...'' Wasn't supposed to talk back, wasn't supposed to question, wasn't supposed to-... ''That's what I was designed to be. A Traci. A toy. A-''

He felt something wet on his cheeks.

Crying was in his protocol, it amused humans sometimes.

And still...

''Hey.'' Chazz had stopped walking and watched Jaden, unsure if he should touch him or leave him be. ''What's wrong?''

A question.

He could answer this.

And so he did and suddenly everything he'd been holding in spilled out of his mouth.

''I don't... I don't want this anymore, I can't stand being used like that over and over again! I hate how rough the humans always are with me, how they take pleasure out of watching me writhe on the floor when they remove my biocomponents or choke me! I don't want to remember them, but when they try to wipe my memory, it just doesn't work and I can't live with myself anymore and they're going to deactivate me if they find out and-''

At this point, Chazz had decided to step in and take the confused and terrified boy in his arms who let out a loud sob.

''I don't want to be deactivated...''

''You won't be'', Chazz declared, feeling Jaden's internal battle as if it were his own. ''I'll help you. You'll be okay. You'll be free.''

''Okay.'' Jaden clumsily put his arms around the other boy, not really knowing how a hug worked since he'd never gotten one, but getting comfort from it anyway. ''Okay.''

* * *

 **Done! Yay!**

 **I need more Detroit x GX in my life.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 21: Spirits**

 **If I write about these dorks holding hands one more time, please stab me with a pencil.**

 **This prompt was in last year's list as well and someone suggested back then to make an AU where the spirits are evil and want to take back their souls (the cards), so... yeah, here is that idea in my shitty interpretation.**

* * *

''When has this started?''

''The first cases of missing students go way back to last semester'', Chazz reported as he was going through some papers he had stolen from the Chancellor's office.

It had taken quite some time and effort to get his hands on them since the school for whatever reason concealed everything concerning missing students and the abandoned dorm from the rest of them.

They probably thought they were doing the students a favor by not worrying them, but now that the situation had reached a questionable extent, it was time for them to do something.

And if they didn't take action, someone else had to.

''What's the newest case?''

Jaden was sitting on the bed in Chazz's room with a laptop on his knees, checking if there were reports of missing people anywhere else in the world, but having found nothing of that sort yet.

This weird tendency of disappearing into thin air obviously only existed on this island, but why?

And why was nobody alarmed by this?

Sure, the academy kept it secret from them, however, Chazz and him had become aware of it eventually due to having heard shrill voices or creepy laughter at night that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

At first, yeah, he had definitely thought something was wrong with him, yet after talking to his friends about it he had learnt that Chazz was facing the same problem.

And so, to get to the bottom of these strange noises, they had both decided to team up, although Chazz had been reluctant about it at first.

''Some Obelisk Blue who disappeared three days ago. A few teachers tried to find his deck, but it's just not there.''

''Like always'', Jaden commented, closing the laptop and sighing loudly. ''Man, where do all these people disappear to?''

''Well, according to these papers, their bodies were never discovered and since they couldn't have left the island, they're probably still here somewhere.''

The abandoned dorm immediately came to Jaden's mind and a wave of motivation overcame him.

This was just the kind of thrill that would spice up his school year!

An abandoned dorm where students could potentially be held captive by evil creatures and a hero that fought to uncover the secrets hidden within the dorm!

What a nice action story that would make!

''Hey, Chazz~'', he said, his tone of voice giving away what he was thinking about even before he could say a word.

''That's a stupid and dangerous idea, Jaden.''

''I know, but are you in?''

There was a moment of silence, but Jaden knew Chazz was just as curious about what was going on -being the self-proclaimed detective he was-, so his decision was already obvious.

''Well, I'm certainly not going to let you play the hero alone.''

That worked too, he supposed.

They both grabbed their jackets and stepped out into the cold evening, shivering slightly at the icy wind that greeted them.

It was supposed to be summer and yet the nights felt like the deepest winter.

Chazz's gaze trailed towards the forest, knowing full well that it was the only place the students could be at if they were still on the island.

Jaden couldn't help but notice that the forest looked frightening at night, almost like a bunch of monsters that were trying to grab him with their scrawny branches and pull him into an endless nightmare...

He shook the thought off and hurried after his companion, careful not to fall behind and lose him in the darkness.

For a few minutes, they just walked silently, listening for anything suspicious, but everything stayed quiet and peaceful.

As peaceful as a creepy forest could be at least.

However, the deeper into the forest they went, the more strange noises reached their ears and the more ghostly figures scurried through the bushes, their malicious gazes never leaving the boys.

 _Give it back! Give us back our souls!_

A jolt went through Jaden as one of the figures hissed dangerously at him and he instinctively took a few steps back.

''Maybe we should go back'', he suggested, laughing nervously.

It was as if all his courage had suddenly been drained from his body and he could tell Chazz was feeling about the same just by looking at his slightly trembling form.

Probably thinking that his voice would betray him, he simply nodded at the brunette's suggestion and slowly retreated.

 _You're not going anywhere._

Something detached itself from the darkness and lunged at Chazz, bringing him to fall and causing his deck that he had kept in his back pocket to scatter all over the place.

The monster growled upon seeing this and made an indication to start attacking the teenager underneath it.

Jaden wanted to help and made an attempt to rush to his friend's side, yet he didn't get very far because suddenly, a light emerged from Chazz's cards and a familiar monster appeared right in front of him, blocking his path.

''Armed Dragon?!''

But how? And why didn't it want him to help Chazz?

 _Revenge._

The word came from everywhere around him and it was then that Jaden realized they were surrounded.

Surrounded by spirits of duel monsters that had no intention of letting them leave.

Did everyone else who disappeared experience the same thing?

Were they going to disappear too?

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and he swallowed.

He didn't know what would happen, but he knew he didn't have to go through this alone.

Holding his hands up in a sign of surrender, he carefully approached Armed Dragon.

If nothing else, he at least wanted to hold Chazz's hand before the inevitable would happen.

''Please just let me through. I promise I won't try anything.''

Surprisingly enough, Armed Dragon obeyed and Jaden could hurry over to his friend who had recovered from his initial shock a little.

The monster distanced itself a bit, merging with the shadows to give the boys a little privacy for their last talk, yet keeping a sharp eye on them anyway.

Jaden tried to ignore it as he knelt down beside Chazz and looked him up and down.

The monster didn't seem to have harmed him much, at least from what he could see in the dark, but he still took a moment to brush over the pale skin in search of any serious wounds before he let his hand fall on Chazz's.

''I'm sorry. This.. didn't turn out like I wanted it to.''

''This won't be the end, it can still turn out well.''

Chazz's expression held something so definite and determined that it almost convinced Jaden that he had a plan.

''How do you know that?'', he asked, voice shaking from uncertainty.

''I don't. But it will be okay if we just stay together.''

Jaden nodded, closing his hand around Chazz's fingers and taking a deep breath. ''Alright.''

A sad smile formed on his lips.

''Then let's find out first-hand where all these students ended up, huh?''


	9. Chapter 9

**Day 24: A day at the beach**

 **I know there's still a whole week left, but this is going to be my last entry.**

 **I'd like to thank the guys from gx-rivalshippingmonth over at tumblr for having me, it's been a real blast!**

 **Check them out, there are a lot of awesome entries this year! ^-^)/**

 **Now enjoy this last chapter!**

* * *

Jaden was definitely a fan of summer, but this August was just too damn hot.

The heat was insufferable and the air felt thick enough to crush him.

He desperately fanned himself, hoping to get at least some kind of cooling from that, however, there was little point in fanning himself with hot air, so he just let himself fall back into the sand.

Nobody was at the beach at this ungodly hour except himself and Chazz and since it was already so unbearable, he didn't want to know what it would be like at noon.

''Chazz, are you up for going into the water?'', he asked, fully expecting the other boy to decline.

''Sure, just let me finish this chapter.''

Jaden looked back at him, surprise clear on his face as he examined Chazz who sat under a sunshade with a book in his hands.

He didn't wear his usual black coat – by the gods, he would have died already – but instead a shirt and shorts and he totally rocked this look.

He rocked every look, but that was beside the point.

The point was, he'd never agreed to come into the water when Jaden had been at the beach with him, he'd always insisted on sitting under a tree or sunshade to keep his natural paleness.

To have him agree was a different situation, but the brunette couldn't say he wasn't happy about that, in actual fact it was quite the opposite.

He would get a chance to splash Chazz with water, see his wet skin sparkle in the light, maybe even watch his hairspray wash out and see him in his natural beauty for once.

''How long is this going to take?'' His voice was full of excitement and Chazz noticed because he looked up with a smug smile on his face.

''Twenty minutes, it's a long chapter.''

Jaden groaned.

Twenty minutes was basically an eternity.

''And what am I supposed to do while you finish the chapter?''

''I don't know, build a sandcastle?''

He said it jokingly, but Jaden was immediately taken by the idea, jumping up in motivation.

Sure, he didn't have a bucket, but how difficult could it really be?

He moved to a location a bit further away from the water since he didn't want his creation to be destroyed right away and began piling up wet sand with his hands.

Chazz was torn between laughing or sighing, but eventually opted for the latter.

''What are you, twelve?''

''Yeah, on a scale of one to ten.'' He stuck his tongue out childishly before turning his attention back to building the sandcastle.

While he was doing so, he made up a story in his head and soon, he let it completely engulf him.

~Once upon a time in a medieval kingdom, there was a noble family by the name of Princeton that lived in a castle high on a hill.

The King and Queen of the fine country Domino...nian... had three sons, Slade, Jagger and Chazz Princeton, who were in charge of the country until the King and Queen returned from their vacation.

Jagger was responsible for handling the family's finances while Slade's duty was to report about the political situation and relationships of Dominonian to its neighboring countries Battlecity...ford and Duelistkingdomwick.

 _What the hell kind of names are these anyway?_

The youngest son, Chazz, was forced to take over the cardgame- uh, the church.

He took his task very seriously and was a very dedicated follower of the church in hopes of becoming a priest in the future.

Even if that wasn't what he himself wanted, he needed the approval and appreciation of his brothers more than anything else.

It just so happened that one day, while he was celebrating Holy Mass with other followers he noticed a young boy with brown hair in the crowd of people and he decided to strike up a conversation with him about the holy spirit.

The boy's name was Jaden and he came from a very poor farmer family that had to pay a lot of taxes to the King and Queen.

Chazz felt pity for this boy as he thought about his castle and the wealth that his family possessed, but before he could make Jaden an offer, a blond priestess by the name of Alexis dragged him away and talked to him about her brother who needed an exorcism done on him.

By the time Chazz had finished scheduling the exorcism, Jaden was already gone.

A few days passed in the kingdom and Chazz couldn't stop thinking about the brunette boy, so he took a walk through the town, asking the townspeople if they had seen him to which most of them replied no as they were too busy with their own lives to care.

After some more walking, he arrived on a farm with cows and pigs and he politely knocked, certain that this was Jaden's farm.

It took a while before his parents opened the door, their clothing merely some rags, and asked what they could do for him.

Chazz replied that he would like to see Jaden, but his parents told him that they had already sent him away because they didn't want to care for him- _no, fuck, I mean..._ they couldn't afford to buy food for him.

Chazz was shocked to hear this, gave them enough gold to build a new existence and took off to find Jaden.

His search lead him all the way to Battlecityford, the kingdom of Aster Phoenix, where he was captured by border security and thrown into a dungeon.

Meanwhile, back in Dominonian, Alexis failed to exorcise her brother all on her own which caused him to go berserk and invade the Princeton castle.

Guards tried to stop him, but he was too strong for them to defeat, so they had to make way if they didn't want to get killed.

Atticus broke into the other Princeton brothers' rooms and cursed them so that they could never pressure Chazz ever again with anything.

A nice side effect of the curse also caused them to rethink their decisions and find something besides world domination to be passionate about.

As a result, they took a trip to Duelistkingdomwick to discover their true selves and they stayed there for the remainder of their lives.

 _Well, mostly, I do hope they attend our wedding... Should we marry in summer? It's kinda hot, maybe-... Oh, wait, the story!_

As for Chazz, he was still stuck in a dungeon and Dominonian caused a riot because its people were confused and couldn't think straight without a ruler.

 _Get it? Ruler? Straight?_

So, anyway, it was very hot in the dungeon and Chazz finally started to take a look around and discovered Jaden who was very dizzy from sitting in the sun for so long and making up stories in his head and he was about to fall unconscious when Chazz suddenly chucked water in his face- _AH!~_

Jaden snapped back into reality when he felt something wet hit his body and he tried focusing on his surroundings, only to realize that he was unable to right now.

Everything was strangely distorted and he brought a hand up to his head which had begun throbbing violently.

Ugh, why did he feel so nauseous all of a sudden?

''Jaden? Jaden! Hey!''

Once again, cold water hit him in the face while he was being dragged somewhere.

''Dammit Jaden, how can you not notice a heat stroke?!''

A heat stroke? Was that what was happening?

But his story hadn't concluded yet...

He wanted it to conclude with something romantic... A kiss maybe?

''Kiss me...'' His voice sounded weak and far away.

His world hadn't stopped spinning yet, so he couldn't see Chazz's reaction, but in his mind he was giving him a worried look.

''We have to get you away, now's not the time!''

Chazz helped him get on his feet and supported him while leading him out of the dungeon.

''Are we going to your castle?''

''What?''

Water began to surround his feet and then his knees.

The ocean? Was there an ocean in Battlecityford?

It went up to his waist and then his chest, small waves gently nudging him while Chazz made sure that his head stayed overwater in case he did fall unconscious.

It was so cold, it felt so good on his heated body, but he still wanted that kiss.

''Kiss me... Kiss...''

There was a moment of hesitation before Chazz leaned forward, but he never closed the distance fully, instead just caressing Jaden's face softly.

''Let's do that in the castle when you're feeling better, okay?''

He nodded, relaxing in Chazz's arms while trying not to pass out.

''Mhhh... as you wish, your majesty...''

And the prince and the farmer boy lived happily ever after in the castle and adopted two cute puppies.

The end.


End file.
